SEWARD PENINSULA — Ducks and swans flew overhead as Sylvester Ayek, 82, and his daughter Kimberly, 35, hauled rocks to anchor their small salmon net on the bank of a deep, tidal channel — 25 miles inland from the open Bering Sea coast. 

Nearby on that July day, Mary Jane Litchard, Ayek’s partner, picked wild celery and set out a lunch of past subsistence harvests: a blue-shelled seabird egg, dried beluga whale meat and red salmon dipped in seal oil.

Then, as they waited for fish to fill the net, the family motored Ayek’s skiff up the channel, known as the Tuksuk, spotting birds and seals and passing family fish camps where drying salmon hung on racks. Soon, the steep channel walls gave way to a huge, saltwater lake: the Imuruk Basin, flanked by the snow-dotted peaks of the Kigluaik Mountains. 

Ayek describes the basin as a “traditional hunting and gathering place” for the local Iñupiat, who have long sustained themselves on the area’s bounty of fish, berries and wildlife.

Sylvester Ayek, an Iñupiaq subsistence hunter, fisherman and sculptor, prepares to set his salmon net off the bank of the Tuksuk Channel on the Seward Peninsula. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

On a day trip subsistence fishing in the Tuksuk Channel, Mary Jane Litchard, 72, holds up a part of her family’s lunch: a hard-boiled murre egg. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

But despite a long Indigenous history, and a brief settler boom during the Gold Rush more than a century ago, a couple of weather-beaten cabins were the only obvious signs of human impact as Ayek’s boat idled — save for a set of tiny, beige specks at the foot of the mountains.

Those specks were a camp run by a Canadian exploration company, Graphite One. And they marked the prospective site of a mile-wide open pit mine that could reach deep below the tundra — into the largest known deposit of graphite in the U.S.

The mine could help power America’s electric vehicle revolution, and it’s drawing enthusiastic support from powerful government officials in both Alaska and Washington, D.C. That includes the Biden administration, which recently announced up to $37.5 million in subsidies for Graphite One through the U.S. Department of Defense. 

So far, the announcements from the project’s politically connected boosters have received far more attention than the several hundred Alaskans whose lives would be affected directly by Graphite One’s mine. 

While opinions in the nearby Alaska Native villages of Brevig Mission and Teller are mixed, there are significant pockets of opposition, particularly among the area’s tribal leaders. Many residents worry the project will harm the subsistence harvests that make life possible in a place where the nearest well-stocked grocery store is a two-hour drive away, in Nome.

Kimberly Ayek picks a salmon from her family’s net in the shallows of the Tuksuk Channel. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

“The further they go with the mine, our subsistence will just move further and further away from us,” Gilbert Tocktoo, president of Brevig Mission’s tribal government, said over a dinner of boiled salmon at his home. “And sooner or later, it’s going to become a question of: Do I want to live here anymore?”

Despite those concerns, Graphite One is gathering local support: Earlier this month, the board of the region’s Indigenous-owned, for-profit corporation unanimously endorsed the project. 

The Nome-based corporation, Bering Straits Native Corp., also agreed to invest $2 million in Graphite One, in return for commitments related to jobs and scholarships for shareholders.

The tensions surrounding Graphite One’s project underscore how the rush to bolster domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles threatens a new round of disruption to tribal communities and landscapes that have already borne huge costs from past mining booms.

Sylvester Ayek points toward the Kigluaik Mountains and the site of the Graphite One exploration project as his skiff bobs in the Imuruk Basin. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

Sylvester Ayek and his daughter Kimberly set their gill net in the Tuksuk Channel. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

Across the American West, companies are vying to extract the minerals needed to power electric vehicles and other green technologies. Proposed mines for lithium, antimony and copper are chasing some of the same generous federal tax credits as Graphite One — and some are advancing in spite of objections from Indigenous people who have already seen their lands taken and resources diminished over more than a century of mining.

The Seward Peninsula’s history is a case in point: Thousands of non-Native prospectors came here during the Gold Rush, which began in 1898. The era brought devastating bouts of pandemic disease and displacement for the Iñupiat, and today, that history weighs on some as they consider how Graphite One could affect their lives. 

Taluvaaq Qiñuġana, pictured in her home village of Brevig Mission, is opposed to Graphite One’s proposed mining project. The open pit mine would be built in the area of her family’s traditional subsistence harvesting grounds. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

“A lot of people like to say that our culture is lost. But we didn’t just go out there and lose it: It was taken from us,” said Taluvaaq Qiñuġana, a 24-year-old Iñupiaq resident of Brevig Mission. A new mining project in her people’s traditional harvesting grounds, she said, “feels like continuous colonization.”

But other Indigenous residents of Brevig Mission and Teller say the villages would benefit from well-paying jobs that could come with the mine. Cash income could help people sustain their households in the two communities, where full-time work is otherwise scarce. 

Graphite One executives say one of their highest priorities, as they advance their project toward permitting and construction, is protecting village residents’ harvests of fish, wildlife and berries. They say they fully appreciate the essential nature of that food supply.

“This is very real to them,” said Mike Schaffner, Graphite One’s senior vice president of mining. “We completely understand that we can’t come in there and hurt the subsistence, and we can’t hurt how their lifestyle is.”

The Iñupiaq residents of the village of Brevig Mission depend on subsistence harvests of fish, wildlife and berries. Some fear a planned graphite mine nearby could interfere with their way of life. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

U.S. produces no domestic graphite

Graphite is simply carbon — like a diamond but far softer, because of its different crystal structure. Graphite is used as a lubricant, in industrial steelmaking, for brake linings in automobiles and as pencil lead.

It’s also a key component of the high-powered lithium batteries that propel electric cars. 

Once mined and concentrated, graphite is processed into a powder that’s mixed with a binder, then rolled flat and curled into the hundreds of AA-battery-sized cylinders that make up the battery pack.

America hasn’t mined any graphite in decades, having been undercut by countries where it’s extracted at a lower cost.

China currently produces more than half of the world’s mined graphite and nearly all of the highly processed type needed for batteries. The country so dominates the supply chain that global prices typically rise each winter when cold temperatures force a single region, Heilongjiang, to shut down production, said Tony Alderson, an analyst at a price tracking firm called Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Some forecasts say graphite demand, driven by growth in electric vehicles, could rise 25-fold by 2040. Amid growing U.S.-China political tensions, supply chain experts have warned about the need to diversify America’s sources of graphite. 

Last year’s climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act, written in part to wrest control of electric vehicle manufacturing from China, is accelerating that search.

For new electric cars to qualify for a $3,750 tax credit under the act, at least 40% of the value of the “critical minerals” that go into their batteries must be extracted or processed domestically, or in countries such as Canada or Mexico that have free-trade agreements with the United States. 

That fraction rises to 80% in four years.

Graphite One is one of just three companies currently advancing graphite mining projects in the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. And company officials are already marketing their graphite to global electric vehicle makers.

But when they presented their preliminary plans to Tesla, “they said, ‘That’s great, we are interested in buying them, but we would need to write 40 contracts of this size to meet our need,’” Schaffner, the Graphite One vice president, said at a community meeting this year, according to the Nome Nugget. 

In response, Graphite One is now studying a mine that could be substantially larger than its original proposal.

The Tuksuk Channel, which reaches inland to the Imuruk Basin and its surrounding tundra, is a vital area for harvests by residents of the nearby Iñupiaq villages of Brevig Mission and Teller. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

It’s too early to know how, exactly, the mine’s construction could affect the surrounding watershed. One reason is that the level of risk it poses is linked to its size, and Graphite One has not yet determined how big its project will be.

While graphite itself is nontoxic and inert, the company also hasn’t finished studying the acid-generating potential of the rock that its mine could expose — another key indicator of the project’s level of risk. Stronger acid is more likely to release toxic metals into water that Graphite One would have to contain and treat before releasing back into the environment.

One fish biologist in the region has also said he fears the mine’s construction could negatively affect streams flowing out of the Kigluaik Mountains, though Graphite One officials disagree. The streams’ cool water, according to Charlie Lean, keeps temperatures in the shallow Imuruk Basin low enough to sustain spawning salmon — a critical source of abundant, healthy food for Brevig Mission and Teller residents.

Graphite One plans to store its waste rock and depleted ore in what’s known as a “dry stack,” on top of the ground — rather than in a pond behind a dam, a common industry practice that can risk a major breach if the dam fails. 

But experts say smaller-scale spills or leaks from the mine could still drain into the basin and harm fish and wildlife.

“There is always a possibility for some sort of catastrophic failure. But that doesn’t happen very often,” said Dave Chambers, president of the nonprofit Center for Science in Public Participation, which advises advocacy and tribal groups across the country on mining and water quality. “There’s also a possibility there will be no impact. That doesn’t happen very often, either.”

Anthony Huston, Graphite One’s chief executive, said his project will incorporate local knowledge and protect residents’ subsistence harvests.

“We are completely focused on making sure that we create a stronger economy, and the entire Bering Straits region, and all of Alaska, for that matter. And that’s something that this project will bring,” he said in an interview. “But it will never bring it at the expense of the traditional lifestyle of Alaska Native people.

Freshly cut salmon dries on beach racks in Teller, a traditional Iñupiaq village on Western Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. Salmon are an essential food source for Teller residents, who otherwise must drive 70 miles on a gravel road to reach affordably priced groceries. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

Alfred Kakoona, 45, cuts up his morning’s catch of fresh salmon, a staple food for the Indigenous peoples of the Seward Peninsula, on the beach at Brevig Mission. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

A way of life at stake 

There are no Teslas in Brevig Mission or Teller, the two Alaska Native villages closest to the proposed mine. 

To get to the communities from the nearest American Tesla dealership, you’d first board a jet in Seattle. Then, you’d fly 1,400 miles to Anchorage, where you’d climb on to another jet and fly 500 more miles northwest to Nome, the former Gold Rush town known as the finish line of the Iditarod sled dog race.

A 70-mile gravel road winds northwest through tundra and mountains before dipping back down to a narrow spit on the Bering Sea coast. The road ends in Teller, population 235, where most residents lack in-home plumbing — let alone own electric cars.

If you need a bathroom here, you’ll use what’s known as a honey bucket.

Brevig Mission, population 435, is even more remote than Teller. It sits across a narrow strait and is accessible only by boat or plane.

(Map by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

The region’s Indigenous history is memorialized in the 1973 book “People of Kauwerak,” written by local elder William Oquilluk. It documents the founding of Kauwerak, an Iñupiaq village by a sandbar near the Imuruk Basin’s innermost reaches.

The area was chosen, according to the book, for the same reasons it’s treasured now: abundant fish and birds, berries and moose, even beluga whales. Kauwerak became one of the Seward Peninsula’s largest villages before it was abandoned in the 19th century, as residents left for jobs and schools.

Whalers, then gold miners, brought profound changes to the Indigenous way of life on the Seward Peninsula, especially through the introduction of pandemic diseases. One outbreak of measles and flu, in 1900, is thought to have killed up to one-third of residents in one of the region’s villages. In Brevig Mission, 72 of 80 Native residents died from the 1918 Spanish flu.

Today, the miners and whalers are gone. In Teller, the population of 250 is 99% Alaska Native. 

Four in 10 residents there live below the poverty level, and a typical household, with an average of three people, survives on just $32,000 a year, according to census data.

At the community’s main store, the shelves are completely barren of fresh fruits and vegetables. A box of Corn Chex costs $9.55, and a bottle of Coffee-Mate runs $11.85 — more than twice the Anchorage price. 

Residents can buy cheaper groceries in Nome. But gas for the 70-mile drive costs $6.30 a gallon, down from $7 in July.

The main store in Teller lacks fresh produce and charges steep prices for groceries, making subsistence harvests particularly essential for the village’s Iñupiaq residents. (Photo by Nathaniel Herz/Northern Journal)

The high cost of goods combined with the few available jobs helps explain why some Teller and Brevig Mission residents are open to Graphite One’s planned mine, and the cash income it could generate. 

As Ayek, the 82-year-old subsistence fisherman, pulled his skiff back into Teller with a cooler of fish, another man was slicing fresh sides of salmon a little ways down the beach.

Nick Topkok, 56, has worked as a contractor for Graphite One, taking workers out in his boat. As he hung his fish to dry on a wood rack, he said few people in the area can find steady jobs.

“The rest are living off welfare,” Topkok said. The mine, he said, would generate money for decades, and it also might help get the village water and sewer systems.

“I’ll be dead by then, but it’ll impact my kids, financially,” he said. “If it’s good and clean, so be it.”

Topkok also acknowledged, however, that a catastrophic accident would “impact us all.”

Many village residents’ summer fishing camps sit along the Tuksuk Channel, below the mine site. Harvests from the basin and its surroundings feed families in Brevig Mission and Teller year-round.

“It’s my freezer,” said Dolly Kugzruk, president of Teller’s tribal government and an opponent of the mine.

Researchers have found all five species of Pacific salmon in and around the Imuruk Basin. Harvests in the area have hit 20,000 fish in some years — roughly 30 per fishing family, according to state data.

At a legislative hearing several years ago on a proposal to support Graphite One’s project, one Teller resident, Tanya Ablowaluk, neatly summed up opponents’ fears: “Will the state keep our freezers full in the event of a spill?”

Some 30 miles outside Nome, supplies for Graphite One’s remote mining exploration camp wait at a staging area the company uses for its helicopters. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

Gold Rush prospector’s descendants would reap royalties

Elsewhere in rural Alaska, Indigenous people have consented to resource extraction on their ancestral lands on the basis of compromise: They accept environmental risks in exchange for a direct stake in the profits.

Two hundred miles north of the Imuruk Basin, zinc and lead unearthed at Red Dog Mine have generated more than $1 billion in royalties for local Native residents and their descendants, including $172 million last year. On the North Slope, the regional Iñupiat-owned corporation receives oil worth tens of millions of dollars a year from developments on its traditional land.

The new Manh Choh mine in Alaska’s Interior will also pay royalties to Native landowners, as would the proposed Donlin mine in Southwest Alaska.

No such royalties would go to the Iñupiaq residents of Brevig Mission and Teller, based on the way Graphite One’s project is currently structured.

The proposed mine sits exclusively on state land. And Graphite One would pay royalties to the descendants of a Gold Rush-era prospector — a legacy of the not-so-distant American past when white settlers could freely claim land and resources that had been used for thousands of years by Indigenous people.

Nicholas Tweet was a 23-year-old fortune seeker when he left Minnesota for Alaska in the late 1800s. His quest for gold, over several years, took him hiking over mountain ranges, floating down the Yukon River by steamboat, walking hundreds miles across beaches and, finally, rowing more than 100 miles from Nome in a boat he built himself.

Tweet settled in Teller with his family, initially prospecting for gold. 

As graphite demand spiked during World War I, Tweet staked claims along the Kigluaik Mountains, and he worked with a company that shipped the mineral to San Francisco until the war ended and demand dried up. 

Today, Tweet’s descendants are still in the mining business on the Seward Peninsula. And they still controlled graphite claims in the area a little more than a decade ago. That’s when Huston, a Vancouver entrepreneur, was drawn into the global graphite trade through his interest in Tesla and his own graphite-based golf clubs.

News of a possible deal with Huston’s company arrived at one of the Tweets’ remote mining operations via a note dropped by a bush plane. They reached an agreement after months of discussions — sometimes, according to Huston, with 16 relatives in the room.

So far, the Tweet family, whose members did not respond to requests for comment, has received $370,000 in lease fees. If the project is built, the family would receive additional payments tied to the value of graphite mined by Graphite One, and members could ultimately collect millions of dollars.

Bering Straits Native Corp., owned by more than 8,000 Indigenous shareholders with ties to the region, recently acquired a stake in Graphite One’s project — but only by buying its way in. 

The company announced its $2 million investment this month. The deal includes commitments by Graphite One to support scholarships, hire Bering Straits’ shareholders and give opportunities to the Native-owned corporation’s subsidiary companies, according to Dan Graham, Bering Straits’ interim chief executive. He declined to release details, saying they have not yet been finalized.

As it considered the investment, Bering Straits board members held meetings with Brevig Mission and Teller residents, where they heard “a lot of concerns,” Graham said. Those concerns “were very well thought through at the board level” before the corporation offered its support for the project, he added.

“Graphite One is very committed to employing local workers from those villages, to being as transparent as possible on what the development is,” Graham said.

Graphite One officials say they have work to do to ensure the region’s residents are trained for mining jobs in time for the start of construction. The company had a maximum of 71 people working at its camp this summer, but Graphite One and its contractors hired just eight people from Teller and Brevig Mission. Sixteen more were from Nome and other villages in the region, according to Graphite One.

Company officials say they have no choice but to develop a local workforce. Because of graphite’s relatively low value in raw form, compared to gold or copper, they say the company can’t afford to fly workers in from outside the region.

Graphite One says it’s also taking direction from members of a committee of local residents it’s appointed to provide advice on environmental issues. In response to the committee’s feedback, the company chose not to barge its fuel through the Imuruk Basin earlier this year; instead, it flew it in, at an added cost of $4 a gallon.

Since Graphite One acquired the Tweets’ graphite claims, progress on the development has been slow. But now, escalating tensions with China and the national push to Americanize the electric vehicle supply chain are putting Huston’s project on the political fast track.

In Nome, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski walks away from a helicopter that flew her to the Graphite One project, a mining exploration camp that the Canadian company is developing to build an open pit graphite mine. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

‘We don’t have a choice.’

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, stands in the Nome airport, holding a bag with chunks of graphite she received at Graphite One’s exploration project. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

In July, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski boarded a helicopter in Nome and flew to Graphite One’s remote exploration camp overlooking the Imuruk Basin.

A few days later, the Alaska Republican stood on the Senate floor and brandished what she described as a hunk of graphite from an “absolutely massive,” world-class deposit.

“After my site visit there on Saturday, I’m convinced that this is a project that every one of us — those of us here in the Congress, the Biden administration — all of us need to support,” she said. “This project will give us a significant domestic supply, breaking our wholesale dependence on imports.”

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, and GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy have all expressed support for the project.

Graphite One has enlisted consultants and lobbyists to advance its interests, according to disclosure filings and emails obtained through public records requests.

They include Clark Penney, an Anchorage-based consultant and financial advisor with ties to the Dunleavy administration, and Nate Adams, a former employee of Murkowski and Sullivan who’s worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.

Murkowski has said the mine will reduce dependence on foreign countries that lack America’s environmental and human rights safeguards.

“Security of supply would be assured from day one, and the standards for the mine’s development and operation would be both exceedingly high and fully transparent,” Murkowski wrote in a letter to the Biden administration in 2022.

The Defense Department, meanwhile, announced its grant of up to $37.5 million for Graphite One in July. This month, the company also announced it had received a $4.7 million Defense Department contract to develop a graphite-based firefighting foam. 

In a statement, a department spokesman said the July agreement “aims to strengthen the domestic industrial base to make a secure, U.S.-based supply of graphite available for both Department of Defense and consumer markets.”

In Teller and Brevig Mission, Graphite One’s opponents have noticed how the electrical vehicle transition seems to be driving interest in the mine planned for nearby. 

Gilbert Tocktoo is the president of the tribal government in Brevig Mission. In an interview at his home, he said he opposes the large graphite mine planned on state land near the Imuruk Basin. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

As the project gathers outside political support, some village residents said that local attitudes have been shifting, too, in response to the company’s offers of jobs and perks. 

Tocktoo, the chief of Brevig Mission’s tribal council, said resistance in his community has diminished as Graphite One “tries to buy their way in.”

The company awards door prizes at meetings and distributes free turkeys, he said. Two years ago, the company gave each household in Brevig Mission and Teller a $50 credit on their electrical bills.

The project, though, remains years away from construction, with production starting no earlier than 2029.

Before it can be built, Graphite One will have to obtain an array of permits, including a major authorization under the federal Clean Water Act that will allow it to do construction around wetlands.

And the project also faces geopolitical and economic uncertainties. 

At least last year, Graphite One was tight on cash. It had to slightly shorten its summer exploration season because it didn’t have the money to finish it, company officials said at a public meeting this year. 

And while Graphite One is counting on a partnership with a Chinese business to help set up its graphite processing and manufacturing infrastructure, the partner company’s top executive has said publicly that U.S.-China political tensions may thwart the transfer of necessary technologies.

Murkowski, in an interview at the Nome airport on her way home from her visit to Graphite One’s camp, stressed that the project is still in its very early stages. 

The permitting process and the substantial environmental reviews that will accompany it, she added, will give concerned residents a chance to pose questions and raise objections.

“There’s no process right now for the public to weigh in. And it’s all so preliminary,” she said. “When you don’t know, the default position is, ‘I don’t think this should happen.’”

Lucy Oquilluk is president of the tribal government of the Iñupiaq village of Mary’s Igloo. Though the Mary’s Igloo village site near the Imuruk Basin is now abandoned, the area is still important for subsistence fishing, hunting and gathering for local Indigenous descendants, many of whom reside in the nearby community of Teller and maintain their own tribal government. (Photo by Berett Wilber for Northern Journal)

But opponents of the project in Brevig Mission and Teller say they fear their objections won’t be heard. Lucy Oquilluk, head of a Teller-based tribal government, said she feels a sense of inevitability.

“It just feels like we have nothing to say about it. We don’t have a choice,” Oquilluk said. “They’re going to do it anyways, no matter what we say.”

This story was produced by Northern Journal, APM Reports and Alaska Public Media as part of the Public Media Accountability Initiative, which supports investigative reporting at local media outlets around the country.

Nathaniel Herz welcomes tips at [email protected] or (907) 793-0312. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Herz. Subscribe at this link.

The post A brand new rush arrives on the Seward Peninsula: for graphite, not gold appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Written by

Heather Erwin

M/V Sea Change has docked at Pier 9 in San Francisco (Credit: San Francisco Bay Ferry)

The much-anticipated zero-emission ferry M/V Sea Change, powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, arrived in San Francisco over the weekend, where it will prepare to begin carrying passengers later this year.

Launched in August 2021 at All American Marine in Bellingham, Washington, the Sea Change is a 70-foot catamaran ferry designed by Incat Crowther and equipped with a Zero Emissions Industries (ZEI) hydrogen fuel cell system that includes 360 kW Fuel cells from Cummins and 242 kg hydrogen storage tanks from Hexagon Purus and a 600 kW electric propulsion system from BAE Systems that includes 100 kWh lithium-ion battery storage from XALT. The Hornblower Group was responsible for the construction management.

The ferry is operated by San Francisco Bay Ferry, which operates 16 ships to California cities such as Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo. The operator is working with U.S. Coast Guard officials in the Bay Area to obtain the necessary inspections and certifications needed to operate the vessel.

“We are finalizing plans for a demonstration pilot operation of M/V Sea Change, the world’s first hydrogen-electric passenger ferry, in the Bay Area,” said Thomas Hall, spokesman for San Francisco Bay Ferry. “San Francisco Bay Ferry has the cleanest, high-speed, high-capacity ferry fleet in the United States, but we are committed to moving toward a zero-emissions future. We plan to deliver our first zero-emission battery-powered electric ferries in the next few years and we are very excited to learn more about the potential of hydrogen fuel cells through this demonstration pilot. We look forward to announcing more in the coming months, including a date when the public can ride this state-of-the-art ferry.”

Peculiarities of the ferry

The 75-passenger ferry received gaseous hydrogen in its 500 lb (242 kg) tanks on the upper deck. It uses this hydrogen in fuel cells, which generate electricity to power electric motors for distances of up to 300 nautical miles, and can reach speeds of up to 20 knots – similar capabilities to diesel-powered vessels – with the added benefits of no exhaust smoke or other emissions and very little are emitted vibrations and noises.

The Sea Change project is managed and funded by SWITCH Maritime, an impact investment firm building the first fleet of solely zero-carbon seagoing vessels for takeover by existing vessel owners and operators.

The Sea Change was the first ship in the larger zero-carbon ferry fleet that SWITCH planned to build in 2022 in partnership with local authorities and shipowners looking to transition to zero-carbon ships. In the transition, they were able to leverage state grant funds related to transportation decarbonization activities targeted by the landmark US Infrastructure Act.

While the Sea Change isn’t the world’s first hydrogen-powered ferry, it is the first to use gaseous hydrogen in a fuel cell, rather than burning liquid hydrogen in an internal combustion engine. Among the advantages of using gaseous hydrogen is its availability. This is underscored by the fact that the fuel loaded into Sea Change’s tanks contains green hydrogen, produced in California by an electrolyser powered by renewable solar energy, so there is no CO2 in the production of the fuel -Emissions occur.

ZEI, formerly Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine, is responsible for the design and development of the first-of-its-kind marine hydrogen and fuel cell system on the Sea Change, as well as the ship’s unique refueling system that allows for direct refueling of hydrogen trucks and was responsible for the successful regulatory approval of all hydrogen-related aspects on board.

ZEI is a hydrogen technology company that develops and sells turnkey hydrogen power systems, advanced fuel cell balancing of plant subsystems, refueling systems and proprietary safety systems for a range of applications.

Categories: Ferries, News, Passenger, Uncategorized
tags: All American Marine, Ferry, Hornblower Group, Incat Crowther, San Francisco Bay Ferry, Sea Change, Shipyard, ZEI

The post Sea Change ferry arrives in San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — An extremely dangerous atmospheric river has moved into the San Francisco Bay Area and the first round of rain is already causing flooding on roadways and highways around the region.

However, ABC7 Meteorologist Drew Tuma says that the first wave won’t be the worst of it. The second round which arrives anywhere between 2 pm – 9 pm will slowly crawl over us with heavy rain which will make our flooding threat high.

TIMELINE: Tomorrow’s very strong storm upgraded to Level 5; NWS says could cause ‘loss of life’

This storm is ranking a Level 5 on the exclusive ABC7 Storm Impact Scale. This is the first level 5 storm in the history of the scale.

Jan 4, 2023

7 am
Marin County activates emergency shelter for unhoused residents

Marin County activated its severe weather emergency shelter starting Wednesday for people experiencing homelessness in anticipation of more heavy rain hitting the Bay Area this week.

The overnight warming shelter is located at the Marin County Health and Wellness campus located at 3240 Kerner Blvd., in San Rafael. It will be open from 5 pm Wednesday to 6:30 am Thursday. Individuals are encouraged to sign in by 8 pm Wednesday.

The nearest public transportation to the campus, according to Google Maps, is the bus stop at Bellam Boulevard and Lisbon Street, which is served by Marin Transit’s 580 and 23 routes. It is also near the stop at Kerner Boulevard and Larkspur Street served by Marin’s 23, 29, 35, 36 and 645 routes.

6:30 am
Danville declares local emergency through Jan 10

The Town of Danville has proclaimed a local emergency in response to the ugly storms expected to start Wednesday, while the city is still cleaning up after last weekend’s wet weather that included flooding and mudslides.

Acting as the city’s director of emergency services, Town Manager Joe Calabrigo signed the proclamation just before noon Tuesday, according to a statement from city officials. The proclamation will remain in effect until noon on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The declaration allows Danville greater flexibility to contract for and obtain supplies for more expedient disaster response.

Residents can contact the police department for safety concerns at (925) 820-2144. To request non-urgent assistance for clean-up or other concerns, call Danville Maintenance Services at (925) 314-3450 or go to www.danville.ca.gov/danvilleconnect.

For assistance with county-maintained or privately-maintained creeks, call county public works at (925) 313-7000 or email admin@pw.ccounty.us. For power outage information, go to www.pge.com/outagealerts. Weather can be monitored at www.weather.gov/mtr.

Jan 3, 2023

7:18pm
Evacuation orders for unhoused living near creeks

San Jose has issued a mandatory evacuation order for unhoused people living in creek areas, police tweeted. SJPD says officers are responding to creek areas and making announcements to evacuate. Shelters will be provided.

7 p.m
An area of ​​Santa Cruz Co. being evacuated ahead of storm

An area near Whitehouse Canyon Road in Santa Cruz County is being evacuated due to concerns with a culvert, the sheriff’s office announced on Tuesday evening.

A culvert under Whitehouse Canyon Road became undermined during the last storm and that caused a part of the roadway to fail. The sheriff’s office anticipates that the upcoming rains pose a “significant concern” that the entire culvert could completely fail, making the roadway impassable for medical and law enforcement resources.

The zone being evacuated is CRZ-E001-C. To pinpoint its location, go to https://aware.zonehaven.com/search.

Road closures can be monitored at https://sccroadclosure.org.

6:50pm
San Jose announces State of Emergency before historic storm

On Tuesday, the City of San Jose proclaimed a State of Emergency ahead of the atmospheric river weather event. The proclamation provides emergency powers to the city needed to respond to the storm events, and simultaneously issues an evacuation order to people living within or along waterways for their safety.

“We want to make sure all residents are informed and prepared to stay safe, and that city staff has the ability to move quickly to relocate encampments that are in harm’s way,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

5:50pm
Mandatory evacuation orders issued for parts of Watsonville in Santa Cruz Co. at high risk of flooding

The City of Watsonville issued mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday evening for neighborhoods with a high risk of flooding ahead of Wednesday’s storm.

The city tweeted a map highlighting the areas ordered to evacuate in Santa Cruz County.

“If your residence is located within this map’s blue-shaded area, you’re asked to evacuate NOW or as soon as possible to safely get ahead of the storm’s flooding,” the tweet wrote.

An overnight shelter opened at Cesar Chavez Middle School (440 Arthur Rd.). This site will serve as the central location to accommodate residents. Shelter space will be limited, so pets must be dropped off at the Animal Shelter (580 Airport Blvd.) before the storm or make arrangements with friends or family.

Ramsay Park (1301 Main St.) is also now open and serves as a place for residents to meet up with family members and get information on available services. There will be limited onsite services.

For those who need transportation services, Lift Line will be available to assist. Please call 831-688-9663.

5:10pm
SF Bay Ferry suspending service for 2 routes affecting Alameda, Oakland on Wednesday, agency says

The San Francisco Bay Ferry will be suspending service to two routes affecting Alameda and Oakland on Wednesday due to the storm forecast, the agency said on Tuesday.

The Harbor Bay and South San Francisco routes will not be sailing in either direction.

“Big southerly winds have outsized impacts at Harbor Bay and SSF terminals,” said the agency on Twitter.

All other routes will operate as scheduled, the agency said.

RELATED: Here’s how Bay Area is preparing for dangerous Level 5 storm taking aim at region

5 p.m
Flood Warning issued for the Russian River in the North Bay

A Flood Warning has been issued on the Russian River near Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville, according to Meteorologist Drew Tuma. River forecast to crest at 35.4 feet Thursday evening causing moderate flooding.

4 p.m
Pleasant Hill announces several sandbag locations ahead of storm

Pleasant Hill officials said Tuesday that city sandbag locations have been refilled and asked residents to respect the city’s 10-bag limit per household ahead of Wednesday’s storm.

Sandbags are located at City Hall at 100 Gregory Lane, the community center at 320 Civic Drive, and on Hawthorne Drive near Pleasant Oaks Park.

Pleasant Hill experienced flooding during last weekend’s storm and is expected to have similar issues once the next storm hits Wednesday. City officials asked people not to drive through flooded areas and around roadway closure signs and barricades.

3 p.m
Orinda residents can fill sandbags at 2 locations

The city of Orinda has sand and empty sandbags available Tuesday at Moraga-Orinda Fire District Fire Station No. 43 at 20 Via Las Cruces, and at Fire Station No. 44 at 295 Orchard Road ahead of Wednesday’s storm.

Residents should bring their own shovels.

2:30pm
Sandbags available at 2 San Ramon locations for residents

San Ramon police said sandbags are available Tuesday at two locations in the city ahead of another large storm forecast in the area.

The sandbags are available at Central Park at 12501 Alcosta Blvd. and at Athan Downs Park at 2975 Montevideo Drive.

2 pm
Santa Clara Co. offering free sandbags are several locations

Santa Clara County residents can get free filled sandbags from sandbag sites operated by the Santa Clara Valley Water District ahead of more heavy rainfall expected this week.

At the five Valley Water sandbag sites scattered throughout the county, residents can pick up free filled sandbags or fill their own with bags and sand the district has provided.

There are also 20 city and county public works yards with bags and sand that residents can fill themselves. A shovel and someone to help lift the sandbags is recommended since they are heavy.

Some sites may require proof of residency. More information and site locations can be found at https://www.valleywater.org/flooding-safety/flood-ready/sandbags.

12:45 p.m
SF leaders give update on how city is preparing for storm

San Francisco leaders provided an update on how the city is preparing for the incoming atmospheric river. This comes after the city saw more than 5 inches of rainfall on New Year’s Eve causing widespread flooding making it the second wettest day in recorded history in San Francisco. Mayor London Breed says Wednesday’s storm will be significant. She is urging people to limit travel if possible. She warns of localized flooding. The mayor also says to use 911 for life-threatening emergencies, and 311 for reports of flooding in one’s home or business.

SF Department of Emergency and Management Mary Ellen Carroll says the National Weather Service has upgraded the wind gusts for Wednesday to 60 to 70 mph. There will be a Flood Watch from Wednesday at 4 am to Thursday at 4 pm This could mean power outages and falling trees.

Officials are also recommending people to stock up on batteries and flashlights.

12:30 p.m
SF warns sandbags are running low

SF Public Works says it is running low on sandbags. Residents asked to only get them if you really need them, limit of five per address.

“We have a limited supply of sandbags available for San Francisco residents whose properties are prone to flooding. Limit 5 per address. Pick up at our Operations Yard, Marin and Kansas streets gate. We’ll stay open until 8 pm Please only get sandbags if you really need them.”

Sandbags are available for residents and business owners. More details are available through “SF72” here.

8:30 am

Most of Bay Area under moderate risk of flooding

The National Weather Service has placed most of the Bay Area under a moderate risk of flooding tomorrow for excessive rainfall. ABC7 Meteorologist Drew Tuma says given our wet soil conditions produced by recent heavy rains, flooding is likely.

Jan 2, 2023

3 p.m
NWS says powerful storm could cause ‘loss of life’

The National Weather Service said Monday that this upcoming storm will likely be “the most impactful system on a widespread scale that this meteorologist has seen in a long time.”

NWS officials say not only will this storm bring flooding, power outages and “disruption to commerce,” it will also most likely cause loss of human life. They say this system will be brutal and needs to be taken seriously.

Watch the latest AccuWeather forecast and take a look at recent weather stories and videos.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

Copyright © 2023 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco Bay Space Degree 5 storm dwell updates: A number of cities declare native, state emergencies as atmospheric river arrives appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

CBS San Francisco Staff Report

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — With a surge in coronavirus cases, the information you need to know is coming fast and furious. Here’s a roundup of the COVID stories we’ve published over the last 24 hours.

READ MORE: Storm Tracker: Tahoe Prepares For Wintry Blast; No Drought Relief For Bay Area

Bay Area COVID Front Line Health Care Workers Anxiously Await Vaccine’s Arrival
SAN FRANCISCO — For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, San Francisco health care worker Charlotte Countee began feeling a sense of relief Sunday. Shipments of the new vaccine began arriving in California late Sunday night. Countee is a front line health care worker — an employee of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Lately, she has been testing people for COVID-19. She and her colleagues have been worried for months not just about their own health, but also that of their patients. “It would be a great relief to be vaccinated, and be in the clear,” she said. “I think treatment and care of patients would be better, because at this point we’re all, you know, very very careful and very concerned and we can’t get too close to patients, and I worry sometimes that that affects their care.” Read More

San Francisco, Los Angeles Counties Set Single Day Record For New COVID-19 Cases
SAN FRANCISCO — Even as the first vaccine shipment began arriving in California late Sunday night, the devastating surge in COVID infections continued to soar with both San Francisco and Los Angeles counties recording the highest number of new cases since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, Santa Clara County reported 2,055 new cases over the last several days. Statewide, more than 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases were reported raising California’s total at 1,551,766. Millions of Californians in the majority of the state are under stay-at-home orders. In Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, more than 4,000 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, according to figures released Sunday afternoon. More than one-fifth of hospitalized patients are in intensive care units. Read More

Historic Cliff House in San Francisco to Close Permanently
SAN FRANCISCO — The Cliff House restaurant, which first opened 157 years ago, announced Sunday that the restaurant will close permanently on Dec. 31, a victim both of the COVID-19 pandemic and, its owners say, delays by the National Park Service in reaching a long-term operating contract with the restaurant. The announcement of the permanent closure was posted Sunday by Cliff House’s longtime owners, Dan and Mary Hountalas, on the restaurant’s website. They said 180 employees will lose their jobs. The Cliff House ended in-house dining in March, owing to the pandemic. After 10 weeks of offering only takeout service, the restaurant shut down to diners as the pandemic struck. The operators said they attempted to try takeout-only service in early June but, after 10 weeks of that, closed down completely in mid-July, saying the restaurant was losing too much money as a takeout-only operation. Read More

Silicon Valley ‘Texit’ Is Real: Here’s Who’s Going and Where
SAN FRANCISCO — Silicon Valley has been the epicenter of the tech industry for decades, starting in 1938 when Bill Hewlett and David Packard started tinkering in a Palo Alto garage. But that may be changing. Perhaps the most striking evidence of that: A descendant of the company they founded, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, will move its headquarters to Texas. On Friday, another longtime Silicon Valley stalwart, Oracle, announced plans to join them, saying it will relocate its headquarters to Austin. A string of high profile tech investors and executives are leaving San Francisco too: Last week, Elon Musk said he has moved to Texas after selling his Bel Air homes earlier this year. Such moves are to be expected during the pandemic, when people are working from home anyway. Several tech firms have said they’ll give employees the option to permanently work from home even after the pandemic ends. Read More

‘People Need to Eat!’ Protesters Demand Mayor Breed Reopen Outdoor Dining in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO — Protesters gathered for a loud and noisy demonstration outside San Francisco mayor London Breed’s home on Sunday. Demonstrators want the mayor to reopen outdoor dining. They chanted “Open SF now!” “The people need to eat!” and other slogans. Protesters said they’re fighting for the little guys like the cooks who can’t work from home and the low-wage servers who can’t pay their rents. “The money is not enough. The money is not enough for a family of four — especially in San Francisco — when the rent is too high,” said Adrian Cruz, a restaurant server who has been on unemployment since March. He and many workers worried they’ll be homeless once unemployment runs out. “Please London Breed, Gov. Newsom, we beg you to open the business,” Cruz pleaded. About 40 to 50 people demonstrated in the rain. Some said this was their first protest on any issue. Read More

COVID Casualty: Dec. 19 Cal – Arizona Game Canceled
BERKELEY — Next weekend’s PAC-12 conference football game between the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Arizona has been canceled because neither team will be able to field enough scholarship athletes to play, conference officials said Sunday. This will be the fourth Cal football game canceled this season. Three previous games were canceled because of COVID-19, and the protocols to which players, coaches and staff must adhere. A PAC-12 spokesman Sunday night would not confirm that the Dec. 19 game was canceled specifically because of COVID-19. Under Conference policy, the game will be declared a “no contest.” In a statement Sunday night, Cal head football coach Justin Wilcox said, “We are disappointed that we are not able to host Arizona but I am proud of our team and what we have been able to accomplish under difficult and unprecedented circumstances this season.” Read More

New Caltrain Schedule Aims to Serve Essential Workers During Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO — Caltrain is implementing a new schedule starting Monday aimed at improving service for essential workers and others dependent on public transit who have continued riding the agency’s trains amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has reduced overall ridership by 95 percent. The new schedule includes more frequent off-peak and weekend service, with the ridership nine months into the pandemic tending to be essential workers who may travel during off-peak times. There will be 68 trains on weekdays, with two trains per hour, per direction running throughout the day, allowing for 30-minute frequency at stations in higher demand, including the connection to or from BART at Millbrae. Read More

READ MORE: Oakland Youth Violent Crime Sprees On the Rise During COVID-19 Pandemic

49ers Offensive Line Coach Tests Positive COVID; Sidelined For Sunday’s Game
PHOENIX — Just hours before their kickoff against Washington, the San Francisco 49ers announced Sunday that offensive line coach John Benton had tested positive for COVID-19 and would not attend the game. Fortunately, it appears that none of the team’s offensive linemen — including former Washington star offensive tackle Trent Williams — have been exposed to the virus. “The San Francisco 49ers today were informed that offensive line coach John Benton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not attend today’s game,” the team said in a release. “His duties will be absorbed by the offensive coaching staff.” Benton immediately went into self-quarantine and the team conducted the appropriate contact tracing as part of the NFL’s intensive COVID-19 protocol. Read More

‘We See The Train Coming Down The Track’; San Joaquin Valley Runs Out Of ICU Beds
LODI — The number of available intensive care unit beds in California’s San Joaquin Valley plummeted to zero for the first time Saturday, state officials announced as ICU units fill up statewide amid spiking COVID-19 cases. Just a day earlier, the region’s ICU capacity was at 4.5%, according to the California Department of Public Health. The region comprised of 12 counties in central California, along with the enormous Southern California region, contain more than 60% of the state’s 40 million residents. Last week, the two regions were ordered to follow the strictest anti-COVID-19 rules under a new state stay-at-home order that aims to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed by restricting infectious contacts. The 0% calculated by the state doesn’t mean all hospitals have run out of intensive care unit beds, and in Stanislaus County 3.6% of ICU beds were available as of Saturday, said Kamlesh Kaur, a spokeswoman for the county’s public health department. Read More

Other Trending COVID Weekend Stories

Bay Area Hospitals Prepare For Sunday Arrivals Of First COVID Vaccine Shipments
SAN FRANCISCO — In just hours, the first doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine will be shipped from its manufacturing plant to hundreds of locations across the country including the San Francisco Bay Area. UPS and Fed-Ex will be delivering to hospitals and other medical facilities starting early Sunday morning. The companies say some shipments will reach locations within a day. That means those at the top of the list to get vaccinated could be getting shots as early as Monday. But with San Francisco hospitals just getting 12,000 doses combined in the first shipment, those shots will mostly only be given to front line health care workers. The vaccine needs to be administered in two doses. A second batch of vaccine was expected to arrive within 21 days for those second doses. Read More

In First Game Since March COVID Shut Down, Warriors Edge Nuggets In Pre-Season Game At Fan-Free Chase Center
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s been 277 days since the Warriors played at Chase Center. It is a night of firsts for the players, staff, and the media. From the stands, it sounded like a game, and on the court, it looked like a game, especially with Steph Curry back in action. It just wasn’t the kind of game anyone’s used to. “It’s a strange atmosphere out on the court, and it’ll be weird tonight to play a game without our fans out there,” said head coach Steve Kerr. The Warriors, playing their first game since the NBA shutdown last March, defeated the Denver Nuggets 107-105 with Curry scoring 10 points and Kent Bazemore, who rejoins the team this year after signing a free agent contract, chipping in a team-high 13 points. Star Draymond Green and NBA No. 2 draft pick James Wiseman did not dress for the game after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. Read More

Doses Begin Rolling Out Along With Unprecedented Security Challenges
SAN JOSE — The first coronavirus vaccine shipments are expected to arrive in the Bay Area as soon as Monday. With them comes tremendous complexity in terms of logistics and security. Some have called the vaccine the largest cybersecurity risk in history. We asked an expert: is that hyperbole? “You know, it is not,” replied San Jose State professor Ahmed Banafa. “The reason for this one is: you’re talking about 7.5 billion people exposed to this virus.” Banafa said the global clamor for a vaccine presents security threats on multiple levels: intellectual property theft, fraud and phishing scams and something a bit like an old-fashion train robbery. “There are a lot of hospitals, they are told ‘don’t tell them when the vaccine will arrive’ because they are afraid someone will go and wait for them,” Banafa said. Read More

Bay Area Law Enforcement Agencies Carry On Holiday Toy Drives Despite COVID Pandemic Restrictions
SAN FRANCISCO — With Christmas rapidly approaching, the pandemic is having a Grinch-like effect on a lot of the usual traditions. Across the Bay Area those who organize yearly toy drives are finding creative ways to get the job done. “We do not want to be deterred by COVID-19 or anything else going on” said Darrel Cortez, executive director of the Shop With A Cop Foundation of Silicon Valley. “These families need us and we want to give back to them as much as we can.” In normal years, the Shop With A Cop program pairs kids with an officer for a $150 shopping spree but, this year, it was a drive-by event at the local Elks Club. Santa waved at cars from his chair and a machine created a miniature snow flurry for them to drive through. Officers from a range of South Bay agencies, including San Jose PD, Santa Clara sheriff’s office, the FBI, DEA, Los Altos police and Santa Clara County Parks, lined the route handing out bags of gifts and spreading cheer to 240 families. Read More

MORE NEWS: UPDATE: Suspect Arrested After Terrorizing Pleasanton Neighborhood With Rifle Fire

Oakland Sees Mounting Plague of Gun Violence Deaths in 2020 as COVID Pandemic Rages
OAKLAND — When it comes to crime and safety, Oakland is a tale of two cities. Police say their figures show that, collectively, the Lake Merritt, downtown, uptown and West Oakland neighborhoods experienced 12 homicides in the first 11 months of 2020. For East Oakland that number during the same period was 88 homicides. The farther east you go, the more shootings and killings. From the Eastlake neighborhood to the San Antonio district, 21 people were slain and 93 people injured in shootings. From Fruitvale to 66th Avenue: 24 dead and 91 wounded. When you get deeper in East Oakland — from the Coliseum to the San Leandro border, you’ll see the biggest number of homicides among all the districts — 43 people killed and 172 people shot. Read More

The post Well being Care Employees Relieved As Vaccine Arrives; Report New Circumstances In San Francisco; Silicon Valley ‘Texit’ Gaining Momentum – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO, January 28, 2021 / PRNewswire / – House X announced today that San Francisco Bay Area is one of the pilot cities to launch the American Dream 2021 and home expansion expansion. with over 40,000 new, healthier and more energy efficient homes across the country valued at over $ 18 billion up to $ 364 million by providing free renewable energy and a discounted mortgage loan to home buyers.

The virtual home buying event is limited to select markets in The United States– Entry is free for consumers. Free incentives apply to all contracts that are executed from January 27 – April 15, 2021 for registered home buyers.

The San Francisco Bay Area pilot includes:

• Over 708 new houses in over 130 parishes with 195 houses ready to move in quickly
• Renewable electricity at zero cost for registered home buyers
• 1% discounted mortgage for the first 12 months, followed by 14 or 29 years of fixed rate, lowest mortgage rate on FDA-compliant loans
• Local effects:
• Possible reduction in CO2 emissions – equates to the annual distance of 1,557 gas-powered cars from the road
• Potential free impulses for renewable energies = $ 10.7 million back to the local economy

WHY: The event aims to expand home ownership by educating consumers about the benefits of smarter, healthier and more sustainable homes that are more efficient, have a lower carbon footprint and are cheaper to own, operate, protect and maintain wait – reducing the total cost of ownership. The house has been more important than ever since the outbreak of the pandemic and the trend was a highlight at CES with smart home technology with a focus on hygiene, cleanliness, energy efficiency and sustainability.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is finding increasing evidence that the pandemic is changing America’s home buying plans. Rose Quint writes in the NAHB’s Eye on Housing blog that the percentage of households considering buying a home within the next year has made the biggest leap in the history of the association’s Housing Trends Report.

The new government is also making efforts to expand home ownership and offset the costs through a proposed tax incentive. The proposal states its purpose:

“Help families buy their first homes and build wealth by creating a new refundable, anticipatory tax credit of up to.” $ 15,000. Biden’s new first deposit tax credit helps families offset the cost of home purchases and helps millions of families put down roots for the first time. Based on a temporary tax credit that has been expanded under the Reclaim Act, this tax credit is permanent and can be advanced. This means homebuyers get the tax credit on purchase instead of waiting for assistance when they file taxes the following year. “

HOW:

• The Smart Mortgage : House X has partnered with a leading mortgage lender to create a dedicated below market mortgage. a one percent discounted mortgage for the first 12 months of a 15 or 30 year fixed rate mortgage.
• The healthier home: Working with Delos, every home buyer receives an advanced multi-room air purification system for their new home when they move in, which helps reduce particles that carry bacteria, viruses and allergens in the air
• The Location Report : Nothing affects a house’s financial picture as much as its location. With custom insights not available anywhere else, the House X location report reveals 300+ insights into every address in America. It’s free to registered home buyers.
• The RESNET Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index is the nationally recognized system for checking and calculating the energy efficiency of a house. Similar to an MPG sticker for cars, except for new houses.

WHEN: The American Dream 2021 pilot program will provide free incentive incentives for fully executed sales contracts between January 27 – April 15, 2021.

WHERE: American Dream 2021 is limited to home purchases in select pilot cities available on houseX.com.

PILOT MARKETS:

CALIFORNIA

The angel/ River basin

Orange County

Sacramento

San Diego area

San Francisco

FLORIDA

Jacksonville

Orlando

Naples

Sarasota

Tampa

Miami

GEORGIA

Atlanta

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte

Raleigh / Durham

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia

TENNESSEE

Nashville

TEXAS

Austin

Dallas / Fort Worth

Houston

San Antonio

Experts available for interview:

• House X: William Farrellpresident
• Delos (air purification): Paul Scialla, CEO and Founder
• RESNET (Energy Ratings): Ryan Meres, Program Director
• The MReport (insights into the mortgage industry): Rachel Williams

About house X:

House X World is a consumer-centric smart home marketplace that provides data and resources for home enthusiasts to make more informed decisions as they buy their home and invest on behalf of the consumer to make a home a smart home that it does not incur any costs. HOUSE X companies are consumer advocates and licensed real estate organizations that only represent home buyers and buyers – not home sellers. The company acts as the main manager of the American Dream Pilot Project. The executives of House X have more than 40 years of experience in representing clients, developers, federal, state and local governments.

Media contact:

Amy Kauffman
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 214.235.6043

Related images

house-x-logo.jpg
House X logo

SOURCE House X.

The post The Way forward for House Shopping for Arrives within the San Francisco Bay Space appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has seen Mary Poppins Returns three times.

Typically, actors promoting projects around the world are on duty before and after each screening for red carpet photos and post-show chats. You might choose not to sit through your own movie more than once. But Miranda often takes his place at dazzling premieres and guild events for his new musical.

“Do people usually skip these?” he asked, shaking his head. “I worked too hard on this film not to see it.”

Of course, Miranda is no stranger to hard work. The 38-year-old theater composer spent five years practically perfecting the Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway giant “Hamilton” and appeared in the three-hour production seven times a week.

But “Mary Poppins Returns,” Disney’s musical sequel to the popular 1964 classic by Julie Andrews, is Miranda’s first major film role. The film begins and ends with its main character cycling through 1930s London with big eyes. He sings with a wide Cockney accent, he taps a nursery rhyme, he dances with hand-drawn animated animals. He cites an eight-minute tongue-twisting number that, because of its numerous elements – is typing! Torches! BMX Parkour! – 50 dancers and two weeks required to shoot in multiple locations.

Lin-Manuel Miranda shares the screen with Emily Blunt and animated friends on Mary Poppins Returns.

(Disney)

While the film’s critics are mixed (reviews ranged from “thoroughly delightful” to “bright, gaudy, and joyless”), the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. was delighted and awarded Miranda his first Golden Globe nomination for acting.

Seeing yourself on screen “felt like I’d seen ‘Hamilton’ for the first time as a spectator,” he told the Times. On stage as Hamilton, he said, “I was into this thing and trusted my staff to tell the story. I knew it was us from the audience’s reaction, but that didn’t prepare me for the first time I saw ‘Satisfied’ – holy … look at the 50 things going on here!

“That’s how I felt when I saw this film. While we were shooting these animated sequences, we were dancing on a large green staircase with nothing but imagination and confidence, ”he continued. “Actually seeing these moments unfolds in exactly the same way [director] rob [Marshall] Describing it two years ago is exciting. “

Opposite Emily Blunt, who takes on the role of the magical nanny of the Banks family, for whom Julie Andrews won an Oscar, Miranda plays a lamp-spotlight or Leerie named Jack, a character not found in PL Travers’ writings, but from Bert, the charming chimney, is derived from Sweep Dick Van Dyke starred in the original film. The new role was the brainchild of Marshall and his producer, choreographer and partner John DeLuca.

Miranda’s Jack goes on a new adventure with Mary Poppins of Blunt and the Banks family in the new sequel.

(Jay Maidment / Disney)

“They liked the idea of ​​someone who brought light and hope to the world,” explained screenwriter David Magee. Enter Miranda’s character Jack – “I called him a ‘jack of all trades’ and it stuck,” noted Magee – who trained as a chimney sweep under Bert and helps the now-grown Banks children (played by Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer). “Our story is about telling people that you can get through difficult times. So we wanted this character to be an orphan – someone who has suffered some loss but still holds onto their youthful spirit and joy.

“Basically, he was raised by Bert too, so he must have met Mary Poppins at some point. And he has inherited this enthusiasm for light and warmth and irrepressible optimism. “

While Miranda is a positive person herself – so much so that his encouraging tweets spawned a New York Times bestselling book featuring illustrator Jonny Sun – it’s hard to believe that Miranda, thanks to this role in Jack, his stage work was occupied in “Hamilton”.

He has this connection to his inner child that nobody else in the film has. I only give Rob [Marshall] infinite honor to see that in me.

Lin-Manuel Miranda on his “Mary Poppins Returns” character Jack

Miranda can’t quite believe it either. His Hamilton, he noted, has no “childlike miracle in his heart at all – he is someone whom early trauma and disastrous childhood have severed the brake lines to a sense of innocence and wonder. It’s all hectic urgency and “I have to do all of this … before I die.”

“Compare that to Jack singing ‘Under the beautiful London skies’ – it’s a gray … sky he sings about!” he laughed. “He has this connection to his inner child that nobody else in the film has. I just give endless credit to Rob for seeing this in me because it’s not what was on display at the Richard Rodgers [Theater] back then.”

Miranda and Van Dyke, who make a happy appearance in the new film, have more in common than their characters. “He switched from ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ to ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’, which was 32 episodes a year, and made ‘Mary Poppins’ … during the summer break,” he explained. “I’m not very busy compared to Dick Van Dyke when he made the first film. [On set]We have connected a lot on this level. “

Lin-Manuel Miranda

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Miranda is quite busy indeed. Ever since “Hamilton,” the hip-hop phenomenon of America’s founding fathers, went from being a hot ticket on Broadway to a must-see thing in popular culture, Miranda herself has been consistently coveted in Hollywood, in a moment new fascination for musicals.

He composed original songs for Disney’s animated hit “Moana” and will write the music for Disney’s later live-action “Little Mermaid”. He works on film, television and possible stage adaptations of the fantasy novels “The Kingkiller Chronicle”. He is executive producer on FX’s upcoming limited series about Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. and he is part of the cast of the highly anticipated BBC series “His Dark Materials” starring James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and “Logan” Breakout Dafne Keen.

Two film musicals with Quiara Alegría Hudes – Warner Bros. ‘The adaptation of his first Broadway show “In the Heights” and Sony’s animated adventure “Vivo” will be released in 2020. And he will make his directorial debut with an adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical work “Tick, Tick … Boom!”

With so many musical projects, Miranda used the large-scale production “Mary Poppins Returns”, which included eight weeks of rehearsal, on-site filming at several London attractions and eight lavish sound days at Shepperton Studios, as an intensive workshop in translating his favorite art form onto screen.

“It was a film school for me,” he recalled. “When a camera scans your face 50 feet tall on a screen, it’s harder to suddenly break into a song and let the audience buy it, isn’t it? Rob knows how to make that transition from language to song that we’re more likely to accept in theater because we know we’re going to a musical. When you buy a ticket to ‘Phantom of the Opera’ you say, ‘If they don’t sing, I’ll be pissed off.’ “

Miranda is encouraged by the numerous directors who try their hand at the space, including Jon M. Chu, the director of “Crazy Rich Asians,” who is directing the adaptation of “In the Heights.”

“The ambitions in some of the musical numbers from [Chu’s] ‘Step Up’ movies – I’d put them next to some music numbers from the Golden Era. ” he said. “I’m very excited to see what he’s doing with Latin American music and what he’s doing in our neighborhood. Seeing him face to face will be my sophomore year of film school. “

Lin-Manuel Miranda will next repeat his role in his hit musical “Hamilton”.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Miranda’s definition of “Zen” goes back to the lyrically demanding role that sparked his meteoric rise: He repeats his leading role in “Hamilton” for three weeks in Puerto Rico in a theater that is being rebuilt after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

“Even in that first year when the crowd got so big it was hard to get in and out of the theater, the most relaxing hours of my day were always the show,” he said. “My only job was to play Alexander Hamilton. It’s such a difficult role that it’s like yoga: it takes all of your focus and you can’t slack off or get hit by a chair or fall off the turntable. But it’s peaceful in there, and I can use that. “

With all of his upcoming engagements, Miranda will at least take the time to see “Mary Poppins Returns” at least one more private screening in New York with his family and friends.

“Well, the 10 month old [Francisco] I will never remember it, but the 4 year old will [Sebastian] will like it, ”he said of his sons. “”[Sebastian] I shot this at a time when he was just starting to make memories, so it’s so weirdly groundbreaking in his brain. And for him, Emily Blunt is his girlfriend, the adorable lady who makes a Peppa Pig impression on the set. I am very curious how he will react. “

MORE ‘MARY POPPINS’:

REVIEW: ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ and she really shouldn’t have

VIDEO: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dick Van Dyke on ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

How “Mary Poppins Returns” star Emily Blunt and director Rob Marshall aimed to make a “Joybomb on the Soul”

ashley.lee@latimes.com

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